The cancellation of the Nimrod programme has left the UK with a capability gap in maritime patrol and attack, but which form is a replacement likely to take? We explore a range of potential options for the MoD, including Raytheon’s Sentinel, Boeing’s Poseidon P-8, Lockheed Martin’s C-130 and alternatives such as IAI Elta’s modified business jet or unmanned platforms.

Also in this issue, we ask how the newly announced F-35 successor programme can avoid the pitfalls that plagued the JSF, check in on progress in the development of micro-sized surveillance drones and find out how the latest simulation technologies are working together to make virtual training ever more realistic.

Moreover, we rank the world’s fastest military helicopters, review how the Littoral Combat Ship programme has adapted over the past few years to meet emerging and future naval needs, and find out how the Canadian Navy plans to maintain operational readiness while major modernisation programmes are underway.

In this issue

Fly on the WallSurveillance could enter a new era if suspects could be followed unobserved by lifelike robotic ‘insects’ capable of infiltrating buildings and navigating their own way around them. Dr Gareth Evans reports on new developments in military micro dronesClick here for the full article.

Training All SensesSimulation training is becoming more realistic than ever, with new systems replicating the details of the battlefield to train a soldier’s every sense. Claire Apthorp reviews the latest innovations helping to prepare soldiers for the realities of combatClick here for the full article.

Getting It RightWith the F-35 successor programme due to kick off in 2016, Dr Gareth Evans asks how the US Government plans to avoid the pitfalls of the Joint Strike Fighter in the development of its new sixth-generation fighterClick here for the full article.

Need for SpeedBe it combat, troop deployment or supplies, speed is a critical requirement for military helicopters. We take a look at the world’s fastest, including the CH-47F Chinook, AW101 Merlin, Mi-35M and AW139M, among others.Click here for the full article.

The Nimrod GapThe cancellation of the Nimrod programme has left the UK with a capability gap in maritime patrol and attack. Claire Apthorp reviews the potential contenders for a replacementClick here for the full article.

Canada at the CrossroadsThe Royal Canadian Navy is in the midst of one of the most challenging periods in its peacetime history as it grapples with the unenviable task of modernising and renewing its fleet. Claire Apthorp reportsClick here for the full article.

LCS: An EvolutionThe Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) represents a revolutionary approach to flexible concepts of operation, but with doubt now being cast on the fleet’s capabilities Claire Apthorp asks, could the LCS turn out to be an expensive experiment that is struggling to deliver?Click here for the full article.

Next issue preview

Faced with a billon-euro shortfall in its 2015 budget, the French defence ministry needs to adapt its mindset to shifting economic realities. We find out how France is trying to get the numbers right with a range of defence manoeuvres including proposals to sell and lease back major defence equipment.

We also take a look inside the UK DSTL’s new virtual cyber centre of operations, review advances in technology that have helped bring land mine casualties to an all-time low, and explore the growing need for IT experts in military operations and emerging career paths in the field. Moreover, we investigate Australia’s recent trouble with its F-35 deal and find out how 3D visualisation suites from BAE Systems and other companies allows engineers to virtually build, test and refine new vessel designs in advance of the first steel being cut.

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